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Nordic "Light Houses" Beckon at the Venice Biennale

Mairi Beautyman | September 20, 2012

Fifty years ago, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Sverre Fehn (1924 – 2009) designed the first Nordic Pavilion for the Venice Biennale at the age of 34 - and leaped to international fame. The 2012 Nordic Pavilion, "Light Houses: On the Nordic Common Ground," is a tribute to his vision of the Nordic house.

Showcasing conceptual houses by 32 architects born after 1962 - all by architects from Finland, Sweden, and Norway - the exhibit is one of the visual highlights of the 13th International Architecture Exhibition, on view through November 25. Mostly made of natural materials, the houses are simple in form and small in scale. The result is a quiet beauty that resonates.